


In Heaven, As It Is On Earth

by JackalopeTrope



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 09:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16808026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackalopeTrope/pseuds/JackalopeTrope
Summary: As Supergirl she is bulletproof and superstrong and outclasses her opponents 99% of the time.  As Kara Danvers her opponent is Cat Grant and, well, she hasn't won yet, but she sure likes to play.





	In Heaven, As It Is On Earth

In this moment Kara is sure of only two things:

* She wants desperately to please Ms. Grant.

* She is going to, once again, fall short of this.

The takeout cup in one hand is quickly cooling, the layouts in the other, on second thought, are a risky maneuver for a Monday morning. There is no privacy from the closing elevator doors behind her and the hustle and bustle of the office in front of her to amend the former, no time to contemplate a solution to the latter.

Kara steamrolls through the bullpen. Cat is standing behind her desk when Kara enters, her Mont Blanc gliding across a fresh pad of paper. She doesn't look up but stretches her free hand out in an open invitation.

Oh gosh. Latte or layouts? Kara hesitates a splitsecond then hands the manila folder over. Kara's eyes never leave it as Cat snatches the folder, waves it in the air in a short of but violent gesture before slamming it down on the desk. It is so embarrasing that she jolts from things like this still. Kara presses her eyes closed briefly, shaking her reaction off. Get yourself together Danvers.

"Is there a reason, Kiera", she stretches out the name a little longer than is necessary Kara thinks. "That it is you who are handing these to me and not James?".

Kara shifts on her feet and can't help the cringe on her face and the hunch in her shoulders. Cat hadn't asked her for the layouts, no. And James sometimes, usually, (not all the time though!) came and delivered the morning revisions himself. And she can't see any steam at all coming from the cup she is now holding with both hands. Crap.

Kara is still trying to figure out exactly what it was that convinced her any of this was a good idea when Cat makes a decidely unladylike grunting noise, clearly directed at her, which makes it totally impossible not to look up.

"No Ms. Grant! I-"

"Ah-ah! No." Cat is looking at her now at least, when she cuts her off. And the dismissive hand gesture is... not the worst one she's seen from her boss. That could be a good sign. "I don't have time for this. Today of all days Kiera, really." Just great. Cat is already exasperated with her, and apparently something about today is special and Kara forgot? Jeez today is just gonna suck.

"Throw that -" Cat makes another gesture, this time towards the cup in Kara's hands, "what I assume is an ice cold cup of drivel? In the garbage. You can do that, at least, I hope?", her attention is drawn back to her writing as Kara gently tosses the latte in the nearby recepticle. "Get me another latte, hot this time Kiera. And no detours. Or I really will fire you. I don't have time for you to emulate the incompetence around you today. Chop-chop!"

Cat is mid-chop when Kara spins around and sets off towards the elevator. Her legs are actually starting to feel some kind of discomfort, maybe from suppressing the superspeed? When she oh-so-wants to just...! It has to be all in her head.

She jams the down button for the elevator and lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding. 

Okay. 

Cat would not be pleased to get the layouts with her coffee in the morning. Which, okay. Good to know. Cat wants _James_ to delivery the layouts, which, y'know, fine. But! Its not like they _discuss_ them. Kara has never seen them discuss anything when James brings them. He hands them over, and Kara has seen Cat swish her hands at him more often than not, then James leaves. Like, immediately. Then Cat looks through them right then. On her own.

And the elevator is taking! So! Long!

Kara blows a huff of air out in frustration and throws a quick glance back at Cat, who is now clicking through something on her computer. Who has ignored the folder. " _Okay_. Okay okay okay." It's like a mantra she is forcefully, quietly muttering to herself as she redirects to the stairwell with painfully slow steps.

\--------------------

The next day Kara still hasn't figured it all out, but is dutifully there to hand over a steaming hot latte when Cat arrives, whose attention is fully on her phone when she grabs the cup and walks past Kara. 

"Cancel my dinner reservations, and confirm my 3 o'clock with the board. They will have moved it I'm sure, but keep the rearrangement off the official calendar. I don't want to give them the pleasure." Cat could be talking to air for all she is looking at Kara, but Kara falls into step and begins scribbling notes into her planner, adjusting her personal version of Cat's daily calendar.

Cat ignores her desk for the couches, and takes a seat in a single graceful movement, still punching buttons on her phone. Kara takes this chance to take a seat on the couch across from her boss and shake her hand out, affecting discomfort she doesn't feel. She ticks off the action on an imaginary list in her head. Morning proof that she isn't Supergirl. Check.

As expected this earns her a look from Cat. "Do keep up Kiera." The smirk would bother her if it wasn't completely the point.

"Yes Ms. Grant." Kara can't keep from sounding as happy as she is. She's just off to a good start today is all. Even if Kara can't figure out why Cat wouldn't want _her_ to bring the layouts, in a more timely manner and everything. But, whatever. She'll get just the coffee in the morning. Like Cat apparently wants. And Cat seems relaxed, which is good. Except Cat is still looking Kara up and down and, _Oh shoot did I spill something?_

Only Cat can take her from a happy minion stupor to a stage one freakout in point two seconds.

Kara is frantically straightening her skirt and trying to subtly look for any mishaps on her wardrobe when Cat relents with her gaze. Her expression is amused when she finally takes a sip of her latte. Which, of course it is, of course she is just trying to make Kara crazy. And Kara is about to let herself be just a little bit bothered.

Then Cat lets her eyes close for a second when she lifts the cup to her lips, and Kara is so used to giving Cat her complete attention she can't help but stare at Cat's throat as she swallows, and there is a little sigh that only Kara could possibly hear afterwards, and thats... something to be filed away and examined when Kara can remember why she feels ways about things.

It's slightly later that morning that James makes his _very important_ delivery with the layouts. Kara's sorting through what seems like a billion slightly crumpled receipts, a by-product of an accounting mishap she's hoping Cat never has to know about, but she freezes in her work once James passes her desk and into Cat's office.

Kara needs to solve this mystery, because, honestly it was a _great_ idea. It had been so long since Kara had come up with a way to improve Cat's morning routine, to make Cat's life just a tad bit easier every day. And this had been so inspired! It hadn't been executed well, granted. The sacrifice of the coffee was regrettable. But it had been her first try! And clearly Cat is just confused, because instead of the impressed eyebrow raise she so rightly _deserved_ she got an afternoon of anxiety and the first threat of firing she's had in well, at least a week!

So Kara is very invested in the interaction that is about to take place in Cat's office. So much so she doesn't even hesitate to eavesdrop and probably won't even feel guilty about it later.

"Good morning Ms. Grant." Kara can hear the stupid smile on James' stupid face. His stupid charming stupid face. What if Cat just wants to see James? She's never showed an interest before, but he is pretty handsome. And Cat hasn't got any current romantic entanglements. Kara would know. And neither does James. Kara would know. Ugh. 

Luckily she had already entered in the information from the now completely crumpled receipts in her hands. Kara does not have a contigency for Inappropriate Work Crush #1 showing interest in Inappropriate Work Crush #2. Kara doesn't really have a contigency for anything, but that's besides the point.

"Tell me James, are you overencumbered with your workload?" Kara's eyes comically widen at Cat's tone. It's so sickly sweet that even James, usually so oblivious to Cat's mercurial moods, will see it for the trap that it is.

It occurs to Kara now, that maybe she should have let James know that her delivery of the layouts hadn't gone over well.

"No." James' answer is direct and luckily not in the form of question, but Kara can hear that his footsteps stop too far from the Cat's desk. Cat will have noticed that particular sign of weakness. 

And despite the fact that not two seconds ago she had decided to hate James for Cat's obviously _imagined_ interest, James is still her friend, so she still feels bad for him.

_chirp chirp_

And _of course_ her earpiece would go off right now. 

Kara is halfway to a safe 'super' escape route when she hears Cat's dulcit tones. "No? Is there another explanation for your _inappropriate_ diverting of my assistant from her responsibilities, than to ease your unweildy burdens?" And what she wouldn't give to stick around see where _that_ line of questioning is going. Oh well.

Kara is already flying as Alex relays the details of the current threat to National City. At least Ms. Grant probably won't notice she is gone. She'll have to apologize to James later.

\--------------------

Alex is wiggling her butt into Kara's couch in a very practiced maneuver, finding that perfect spot to begin a night of sisterly bonding. Having succeeded she lifts a slice of pizza from the open box in front of her.

"So tell me baby sister, how did the 'Great Layout Gambit' turn out?" Alex is already smiling around a huge bite of pizza when she turns to Kara.

Who is not pleased. She knows the pout she is sporting is exactly what Alex was looking for by bringing up the subject but she can't stop herself. Nor can she keep herself from dragging the nearest throw pillow up to her chest and squeezing in a gesture that Alex is sure to notice as the 'Kara invested too much emotionally into one of her schemes and doesn't want to talk about it' gesture that it is.

And of course Alex is cackling now. Kara almost hopes she chokes a bit on the pizza she hasn't quite finished chewing.

"I don't know why you find my pain so funny Alex. I'm just trying to excel at my job, and you are a bad bad person." Kara's voice has taken on the whining tone she can't help but fall into when talking about one Cat Grant, and the various ways she fails to impress her.

"Oh my dear sweet baby sister, if you put half as much effort into your other job you'd put me _out_ of a job." Which is probably oddly true, Kara thinks, but Alex doesn't have to phrase it like that. But Alex doesn't look mad or disappointed, just... flabbergasted. Like shes trying to figure out why Kara does this. Which, fair, Kara is still trying to figure that out. Supergirl is an important calling for sure. But Cat Grant is her passion in life. Apparently. Which is an odd way to think about it, and it has Kara blushing.

"She was _so mad_ Alex. At James too! And oh! _And_ I forgot to apologize to him!" Kara lets herself fall back into the couch, eyes closing in defeat.

"Wait, what? Why would you have to apologize to James? How did you reel him in to this?" Kara can feel Alex halfheartedly rooting around for the remote with her free hand. She gives her big sister a poke in the side and smiles at her yelp.

"I didn't _reel_ him in to anything. The remote's on the table." Kara isn't actually sure if James' situation is her fault now that she thinks about it. "Cat was lecturing him about diverting me? Or something? I'm actually not sure. That was when you called about the helicopter thing. Cat sounded livid though." She really did. Moreso than when Kara brought her the cold coffee in the first place.

"And you haven't talked to him? Interrogated him about Cat's every word and gesture? That call was on Tuesday." Kara peeked her eyes open to watch her sister. Alex was idly flipping through her most recently watched shows on Netflix, a small smile on her face.

"I've moved on. Cat doesn't want the layouts with her coffee. I have a new plan."

"Of course you do." Her sister laughs and presses dramatically down on the remote.

"Yes. I'm going to sneak small gel pads into Cat's heels. I read an article about nerve damage and I think it could really make a difference."

"Mhmm!", Alex is now holding down the 'Volume Up' button, and the opening theme to the sitcom she chose, probably arbitrarily, is filling the room.

"I'm calling it, the 'The Ma-Gel-In Maneuver'! I'm having Winn custom make the inserts!" Kara is yelling by the end of the explanation, the music so loud her neighbors are bound to complain. But she is laughing too. And so so happy to have a sister who loves her and puts up with her crazy schemes. Maybe she can even get Alex to help one of these days.

\--------------------

Despite Kara's excitement over the name, and Winn's less than enthused, but timely participation in 'The Ma-Gel-In Maneuver', the whole thing had to be shelved, as James was a bit put-out.

Which wouldn't have mattered usually. Kara doesn't need James' approval to root around with Cat's shoes. But he had put himself firmly between her and said shoes all. day. long.

Every time Cat would leave her office James was there, with some errand or another for her to run. Making copies of some resume for an interview Cat wanted him to sit in on. Arranging the catering for the lunch meeting with all the department heads. He even had Supergirl clearing out traffic after a wreck on the freeway. Well that was Alex really, but James was there when she got the call and he had the same smug look on his face as he did with every other useless errand he'd dished out once Cat was out of sight.

He was clearly trying to sabotage her plan, thus preventing Cat's happiness, the source of everything good in the world.

Kara had worked herself into a serious snit over it all, flying back from said traffic errand, when she overhears a conversation she was never supposed to hear.

"She is trying to do what with my shoes?" Cat's balcony door is wide open and her amused voice carries quite easily to Kara, who is now frozen in fear twenty feet above.

"Uh.. put, uh, gel inserts in them." The least James could do is be more confident in his absolute betrayal of her. She can't believe him! Now she'll never sneak them in, Cat will be looking for them now. "To help with nerve damage somehow? My source wasn't specific."

"Oh yes. Your source. And what, praytell, is the moniker my lovely assistant has bestowed upon this scheme?" And Cat is nearly laughing now, which is, Kara finds it very distracting. She is trying to be very angry with James. And Cat called her lovely which is... Kara needs to focus. She wonders if she could get close enough to watch without drawing their attention.

"That would be, 'The Ma-Gel-In Maneuver'."

"Oh that, that is delightful." Cat does laugh then and the sound is so beautiful it makes Kara feel like she is floating. 

Which she is of course, closer and closer to the windows. Kara can see Cat lounging in her chair, feet propped up on her desk. James is standing rather stiffly on the other side hands behind his back. Kara is being made fun of, she is sure. But she can't find it in her to care when Cat sounds so pleased, looks so relaxed. And Kara is kinda responsible, sorta. She smiles at the thought. 

"Does she do this kind of thing often?" Cat asks, almost gleeful.

James just sighs in response. "Are we finally square then?" Kara notices then that James isn't finding this amusing in the same way Cat is. Or at all really.

"Oh I'd say this is worth that particular debt being paid. I won't tell Kara you ratted her out if that is what has you worried. I doubt she'd hold it against you, being Sunny Danvers and all." Kara doesn't know which is more distracting, hearing her actual name fall from lose lips, or watching Cat rub her Mont Blanc against them in a moment of contemplation. "Though I could be wrong, I had no idea she was up to such nefarious plots. Seems I haven't unravelled her completely afterall." If Cat sounded gleeful before, she sounds downright thrilled now. As if she's just come up with a delightfully _new_ way to unravel her wayward assistant. Kara's whole body thrums at the possibilities.

James seems to take this as a kind of dismissal and as he goes to turn around he jolts at the sight of a very red-faced Kara standing awkwardly on the balcony. "Supergirl!"

"Uh. Yes. Hi."

"Supergirl?" Kara watches almost in a trance as Cat swings her legs off her desk and makes a kind of shooing motion at James, who misses it altogether of course. "James, don't you have better things to do with your time than to sit there and gawk? Go make yourself useful and grab my lunch." James doesn't seem to mind being sent on an assitant's errand, as he swiftly, almost comically so, makes his exit. Cat doesn't seem to notice his eagerness to leave, her eyes trained on Kara as she stalks towards he open balcony. "It doesn't look like my assistant will be back in time to fetch it."

"Um. Hello. Ms. Grant. I was just in the neighborhood and I thought-"

"You'd drop in and say hello?" Cat has stopped at the threshold, not stepping outside. She crosses her arms, her eyebrow perched in so much challenge.

"Er... No? Well, yes."

Cat looks like she might laugh again. "Well hello Supergirl." And Kara wouldn't blame her because this is all just ridiculous. And really there is nothing she can say that wouldn't be so stupid, or embarrasing, or make it absolutely obvious she...

_chirp chirp_


End file.
